Greenville Unveils Traffic Response Vehicle

(Greenville, SC) After 10+ years of our venture into SCPoliceCruisers, we are always excited when we see a new concept hit the Palmetto State.  Such is the case with the Greenville Police Department’s new Ford F350 Traffic Response Vehicle (TRV). The first of its kind in law enforcement for South Carolina, this vehicle brings a host of positives to the City of Greenville.

Many may recall or be familiar with a similar type of response vehicle from driving the highways of our state. The South Carolina State Highway Emergency Patrol (known as SHEP) routinely aids motorists who are stranded, have been involved in an accident, or providing traffic control at various times and places along our interstate system.  While the concept is largely the same, the execution of Greenville’s new TRV is vastly different. The Greenville Police Department has allowed for its new TRV to not only work the interstate, but provide service to city streets as well. You are just as likely to see this vehicle on I-385 as you are on Roper Mountain Road.  

So what exactly does this new vehicle do?  The primary function is to aid in traffic control and helping the flow of vehicles moving past a scene.  With use of this highly visible vehicle, a high-rise message board, and the ability to respond quickly to wrecks in the city, this vehicle is already proving effective in its daily use.  Further duties allow for the office driving this vehicle to clear roadways of stranded and disabled vehicles, quickly remove debris from the road prior to wrecker services arriving, and being more visible than a patrol car stopped in traffic, thus creating a safer scene for everyone.  Another unique aspect of this vehicle is officer assigned to it.  The Greenville Police Department has assigned this vehicle to a highly decorated Class 1 officer with extensive experience in DUI/SFST, Accident Reconstruction, and various methods of speed and aggressive driving enforcement. This further allows the officer to asses an accident scene upon arrival before other units are present. But don’t expect the officer to just go from scene-to-scene, he is happy to make a traffic stop if the need arises.   

I’m sure many will ask: Where exactly did this idea come from?  Great question!  The current Greenville City Manager, Mr. John McDonough came to Greenville, South Carolina by way of Sandy Springs, Georgia.  If folks know anything about Sandy Springs, it is a metro suburb of Atlanta, very wealthy, and very heavy in traffic.  During his tenure in Sandy Springs, Mr. McDonough was able help the Sandy Springs Police Department acquire a similar vehicle.  Fast forward to his appointment in 2019 as Greenville’s City Manager, here comes our version of what was implemented prior during his time in Georgia. Now we won’t brag…but we do think our vehicle is just a little nicer!  
Now we pose the question:  Who else in the Palmetto State will do something similar to this?  We could certainly see areas around Charleston or Myrtle Beach having use for a similar vehicle…  But only time will tell.

We’d like to thank the Greenville Police Department for allowing us access to this vehicle and sharing this unique concept with the SCPoliceCruisers staff.  We certainly hope to see something similar crop up in another part of the state in the not so distant future.